Ceiling system with replacement panels

ABSTRACT

A panel for use in a drop ceiling system, or with appropriate modification, a wall, wherein the ceiling system includes stringers and cross-members defining areas therebetween for support of the panels wherein the panels include at least one planar sheet of material secured to a reinforcement member having channels formed therein to extend in at least one direction relative to the sheet material. When more than one sheet of material is used, the sheets of material are disposed on opposite sides of the reinforcement member. The panels are flexible for easy insertion into the openings between the stringers and cross-members of the support system and are readily compressed into a thinner profile for shipping purposes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No.60/148,834, filed Aug. 13, 1999. This application is hereby incorporatedby reference as if fully disclosed herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to coverings for the ceilings and walls ofbuilding structures and, more particularly, to a drop ceiling or a wallpanel wherein individual panels are supported on a matrix of supportmembers.

2. Description of the Relevant Art

The ceilings of building structures have taken numerous forms. Ceilingsmay be left unfinished so that rafters or beams of the buildingstructure itself are exposed or the rafters and beams may be covered aswith drywall, wood strips, plaster or other similar finishes. Walls ofbuilding structures may be similarly finished.

Another popular ceiling system is commonly referred to as a drop ceilingwhere a plurality of support bars are suspended from the unfinishedceiling so as to form a matrix having a plurality of side-by-sideopenings defined between the support bars. The openings are filled withpanels which are typically rigid acoustical panels, with the panelsbeing supported along their peripheral edge by the support bars. Whilesuch drop ceilings have met with some success, there are numerousdisadvantages. One disadvantage is that there is very little variety inthe aesthetics of the ceiling system since most acoustical panels havethe same general appearance, with another disadvantage residing in thefact that the panels are rigid and brittle so that they are easilybreakable and, further, due to their rigidity, they are difficult toinsert into the opening provided therefor inasmuch as the support barsmust partially protrude into the opening in order to provide a supportsurface for the panels.

It is to overcome the shortcomings in prior art drop ceiling systems andto provide a new and improved cladding system for walls or ceilings thatthe present invention has been made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a new and improved drop ceiling systemwherein a plurality of flexible panels are preferably removablysupported on a grid work of support bars. The support bars may be ofinverted T-shaped cross-sectional configuration and form a matrix fromlongitudinally extending stringers and laterally extendingcross-members. The flexible panels are sized to fit within the openingsdefined by the stringers and cross-members and rest upon ledges of theinverted T-shaped support members.

The panels can take numerous configurations but include at least onesheet of somewhat rigid but flexible or foldable material preferablymade of a fibrous material that is reinforced in one of numerous ways sothat it can be folded or flexed while being inserted into an opening inthe supporting grid work and subsequently unfolded above the grid workso that it can be easily positioned on the supporting grid work. Invarious disclosed embodiments, the panel can be made to be collapsibleor compressible.

The sheet material can be reinforced by a second parallel sheet ofmaterial with support members bridging the space therebetween or it maybe reinforced simply by a plurality of reinforcing members extendedalong an unexposed, or possibly even exposed, surface of the sheetmaterial. Where multiple sheets of material are utilized, supportmembers are provided for retaining the sheet materials in a desiredspaced relationship.

The panels so formed provide adequate insulation and also, in mostinstances, provide an exposed planar surface that can be covered with adecorative film of various colors, grains or textural patterns toprovide variety to the aesthetics of the ceiling system once it has beeninstalled.

While the panels have been summarized and will be described hereafter inmore detail as forming part of a ceiling system, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that with modification of the support systemthe panels could also be used in the walls of a building structure.

Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be morecompletely understood by reference to the following detailed descriptionof a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the drawings andfrom the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a panel formed in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view looking upwardly at a dropceiling system in accordance with the present invention utilizing thepanels of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 3—3 of FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a section of FIG. 4 showing support membersfor the panel in dashed lines.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with a support member of the typeshown in dashed lines in FIG. 5 shown in solid lines.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5 with the panel being folded and withthe support members shown in dashed lines where they would beincorporated if the panel were fully expanded as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the panel of FIG. 8 after having beenfully folded into a flat condition.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation showing three panels in a fully foldedcondition and stacked upon each other.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the panel partially foldedor bent which facilitates insertion of the panel into a position withinthe supporting grid work for the ceiling system.

FIG. 12 is a reduced side elevation similar to FIG. 11 again showing thepanel slightly folded or bent.

FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric view of the panel of FIG. 1 butincluding a decorative film layer for covering the lower face of thepanel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a side elevation of a panel as shown in FIG. 1 with end capsrunning along opposite ends of the panel to retain the panel in anexpanded condition.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 16—16 ofFIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary isometric view with parts broken away of thepanel shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.

FIG. 18 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of a panel inaccordance with the present invention with the panel shown folded indotted lines.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary isometric of the panel as shown in FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a side elevation of a third embodiment of a panel inaccordance with the present invention with the panel being similar tothe panel shown in FIG. 18 but with a second parallel sheet of material.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a portion of thepanel of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the panel shown inFIG. 21.

FIG. 24 is a fragmentary isometric view of the reinforcement portion ofthe panel of FIG. 21 showing a first method of applying glue to thereinforcement.

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 24 with a second method of applyingglue to the reinforcement material.

FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIG. 24 illustrating a third method ofapplying glue to the reinforcement.

FIG. 27 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 21 with the panel of FIG. 21having been partially compressed.

FIG. 28 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the panel as seen in FIG.27.

FIG. 29 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 28 with the panelhaving been further compressed.

FIG. 30 is an isometric view of the panel as shown in FIG. 27 partiallycompressed.

FIG. 31 is a side elevation of a fourth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 32 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the panel asshown in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 32 with the panelpartially compressed.

FIG. 34 is a fragmentary isometric of the panel shown in FIG. 31.

FIG. 35 is a side elevation of a fifth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 35A is an enlargement of the circled area of FIG. 36.

FIG. 36 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 36 with the panelhaving been partially compressed.

FIG. 38 is a fragmentary isometric of the panel shown in FIG. 35.

FIG. 39 is a side elevation of a sixth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 40 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the panelshown in FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a fragmentary isometric of the portion of the panel shown inFIG. 40.

FIG. 42 is a side elevation of a panel similar to that shown in FIG. 39with a parallel sheet of material added to the panel.

FIG. 43 is a fragmentary vertical section of a portion of the panelshown in FIG. 42.

FIG. 44 is a fragmentary isometric of the portion of the panel shown inFIG. 43.

FIG. 45 is a side elevation of the panel shown in FIG. 39 with a fold orcurve formed in the panel.

FIG. 45A is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 45 showing thereinforcement portion of the panel of FIG. 45 in solid lines andparallel sheets connected to the reinforcement portion in dashed lines.

FIG. 46 is a fragmentary vertical section through a seventh embodimentof a panel formed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 47 is an isometric view of an eighth embodiment of a panel formedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 48 is an exploded isometric view of the panel shown in FIG. 47.

FIG. 49 is an isometric view of a secondary reinforcement strip used inthe panel of FIG. 47.

FIG. 50 is an isometric view of the reinforcement structure for thepanel shown in FIG. 47.

FIG. 51 is an isometric view of a sheet of material illustrating how thesecondary reinforcement shown in FIG. 49 can be cut from such a sheet.

FIG. 52 is a side elevation of the panel shown in FIG. 47 lookingupwardly and to the right from the lower lefthand side of the panel asshown in FIG. 47.

FIG. 53 is an enlarged section taken along line 53—53 of FIG. 52.

FIG. 54 is a section taken along line 54—54 of FIG. 53.

FIG. 55 is a section taken along line 55—55 of FIG. 56 and similar toFIG. 53 showing the panel partially compressed.

FIG. 56 is a section taken along line 56—56 of FIG. 55 and being similarto FIG. 54 with the panel partially compressed.

FIG. 57 is a side elevation of a ninth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 58 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 57.

FIG. 59 is a fragmentary isometric of the portion of the panelillustrated in FIG. 58.

FIG. 60 is a side elevation of a tenth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 61 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the panel ofFIG. 60.

FIG. 62 is a fragmentary isometric showing the portion of the panelillustrated in FIG. 61.

FIG. 63 is a side elevation of an eleventh embodiment of a panel formedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 64 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing a portion ofthe panel of FIG. 63.

FIG. 65 is a fragmentary isometric showing the portion of the panelillustrated in FIG. 64.

FIG. 66 is a side elevation of a twelfth embodiment of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 67 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 66.

FIG. 68 is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating the portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 67.

FIG. 69 is a side elevation of a thirteenth embodiment of a panel formedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 70 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 69.

FIG. 71 is a fragmentary isometric illustrating the portion of the panelshown in FIG. 70.

FIG. 72 is a side elevation of a fourteenth embodiment of a panel formedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 73 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 72.

FIG. 74 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 73 showing the panelpartially compressed.

FIG. 75 is a fragmentary isometric of the portion of the panel shown inFIGS. 73 and 74.

FIG. 76 is a side elevation of a fifteenth embodiment of a panel formedin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 77 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of thepanel shown in FIG. 76.

FIG. 78 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 77 showing the panelpartially compressed.

FIG. 79 is a fragmentary isometric of the portion of the panel shown inFIGS. 77 and 78.

FIG. 80 is a fragmentary isometric view of a support member adapted foruse in connection with the panel shown in FIG. 60.

FIG. 81 is an end elevation of the support member shown in FIG. 80.

FIG. 82 is an end elevation of the support member incorporated into thepanel of FIG. 60.

FIG. 83 is a side elevation of the panel of FIG. 60 with the supportmember of FIG. 80 incorporated therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A drop ceiling system 100 in accordance with the present inventionutilizes a conventional suspension system of elongated crisscrossingsupport members 102 forming a matrix defining openings that are usuallyrectangular in shape in which a panel in accordance with the presentinvention can be disposed. The support members typically consist ofhorizontally disposed elongated stringers 102 a that are suspended in aconventional manner and in parallel relationship in one direction acrossa ceiling structure usually at a vertical spacing of four to six inchesfrom the substructure of the building structure in which the ceilingsystem is mounted. A plurality of horizontal cross-support members 102 bextend in parallel relationship and perpendicularly to the stringers sothat the quadrangular openings are defined therebetween. Thecross-members are also suspended at the same elevation as the stringers.The stringers and cross-members are of inverted T-shaped cross-sectionas illustrated in FIG. 3 so as to define horizontal shoulders 104 oneither side of a vertical body 106, with the shoulders being adapted tosupport a peripheral edge of a panel formed in accordance with thepresent invention. As will be appreciated, the T-shaped support members102 extend peripherally around each quadrangular opening so that ashoulder is provided to support an entire peripheral edge of a panel.

Other types of suspension systems could be utilized, but a suspensionsystem of the type described has proven to be very functional.

A first embodiment 108 of a panel in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 1–17. As probably best seen in FIG. 5,each panel 108 includes an upper planar sheet 110, a lower planar sheet112 and a reinforcement layer including a plurality of parallelreinforcement members 114 of substantially S-shaped cross-section. Theupper and lower planar sheets as well as the reinforcement members aremade of a somewhat rigid material than can be flexed. A material thathas worked for this purpose is a non-woven fabric of heat resistantfibers bound together by a heat moldable polymeric resin matrix or athermal setting resin matrix. For example, fiberglass fibers embedded inan acrylic resin will work for this purpose with the fibers preferablybeing relatively long and thin. The length of the glass fibers wouldpreferably be in the range of ¼ inch to one inch. The thickness of theglass fibers would preferably be no less than 7 microns and no more than100 microns with 10–16 microns having proven to be desirable. A materialfound suitable for this purpose is 100GSM glass mat #8802 manufacturedby Johns Manville of Waterville, Ohio, or an alternative would bematerials available from OJI Glasspen in Japan and Ahlstrom in England.

The upper and lower sheets of material are cut to a predetermined sizewhich corresponds with the area defined by the stringers 102 a andcross-members 102 b of the support system. As will be appreciated, theupper and lower sheets of material are retained in a parallel andseparated relationship by the reinforcement members 114 which are formedfrom elongated strips of material 116 that are pre-creased atpredetermined locations so that they can be folded at right angles atthose locations. The strips of material are also cut to pre-determinedlengths to form the reinforcement members.

The creases are provided at the locations where the strip material 116is to be folded and these locations are spaced from each edge of thestrip approximately one-quarter of the full width of the strip. In thismanner, when the strips are folded as illustrated in FIG. 5, they definean upper flap 124 and a lower flap 126 and an intermediate body 128which is approximately twice the width of each of the flaps. The creaselines, of course, allow the flaps to be folded relative to theintermediate body. By taking care when creasing the strips that theglass fibers not be damaged, alternative means for maintainingresiliency in the strip material need not be employed as the glassfibers provide the desired resiliency in the material. For purposes ofthe present disclosure, resiliency refers to the ability of a material,component or panel to return, after deformation, to its pre-deformedconfiguration. Each flap is provided with an adhesive on its outersurface to engage the adjacent sheet material 110 or 112 so as to besecurely bonded thereto. The adhesive could take numerous forms but aporous adhesive made by EMS-Chemie AG of Domat/Ems, Switzerland anddesignated flame resistant co-polyester adhesive #1533 has been foundacceptable.

As will be appreciated, due to the creases in the reinforcement members,and the capability of the strip material 116 to bend along thesecreases, the reinforcement members by themselves may not necessarilyretain the sheet material 110, 112 in spaced relationship rendering thepanel collapsible by moving the sheets of material toward each otherwhile they slightly shift laterally relating to each other. To preventcollapsing, diagonal support members 130 of a more rigid plasticmaterial or conceivably the same glass fiber reinforced resin materialmay be diagonally inserted into each cell 132 defined between the sheetmaterial and adjacent reinforcement members. These support members 130are illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 5 and in full lines in FIG. 7.The support members can be inserted in every cell or in spaced cells asis necessary to support the panel as desired. Even with the supportmembers inserted in each cell, however, the panel can be slightly flexedor bent as illustrated in FIG. 11 or 12. As will be appreciated, due tothe flexibility of the panels, they can be easily inserted into theopenings between the stringers 102 a and cross-members 102 b even thoughthe overall fully extended size of the panel 108 is substantially equalto the size of that opening. This, of course, provides a distinctadvantage over systems in the prior art where rigid panels that couldnot be bent or flexed have to be inserted into an opening of about thesame size.

By inserting support members at specified selected locations, but not inall the cells, the panel will take a curved shape that may be useful orappealing in some situations.

The reinforcement members 114 can be adhesively bonded to the sheetmaterial 110, 112 in any suitable manner but, by way of example, theadhesive could be provided to cover the entire face of a flap 124 or126, could be provided in continuous lines along the flap but not of thefull width of the flap, could be provided in intermittent lines alongthe flap or other such applications. It is conceivable that thereinforcement member could also be heat welded or ultrasonically bondedto the sheet material as well.

It will be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 8–10 that by removing thesupport strips 130 from each cell, the panel 108 can be collapsed byfolding the reinforcement members 114 along their creases 122 so thatthe reinforcement members are flattened and extend in parallelrelationship with the upper and lower sheets 110 and 112, respectively,as illustrated in FIG. 9. In this configuration, panels can be stackedas illustrated in FIG. 10 into a small area for shipping purposesthereby saving considerable expense when shipping panels for use in adrop ceiling system.

With reference to FIG. 13, it will be appreciated that the panel 108 asdescribed above can be modified by incorporating a decorative continuouslayer of elastomeric polymer, preferably a thermoplastic orthermosetting polymeric film 134 or the like, such as a urethane orneoprene film, to the lower exposed face of the lower sheet 112, whichface is the face that is exposed to the interior of the room in whichthe ceiling system is mounted. The film material can be simply a flatsheet of colored material, could be furrowed or otherwise embossed witha pattern, or could have a wood grain or other decorative patternimprinted thereon. There are numerous possibilities for decorating thelower surface of the panel and this film or related sheet of materialcan be adhesively or otherwise secured to the panel along the bottomface of the lower sheet of material 112 of the panel. A decorative filmas described above or other material may also be applied to the otherpanel embodiments of this invention, which are described below.

Examples of decorative coverings or films would be:

-   -   a) supported vinyl wall coverings made by Gen Corp. of Columbus,        Miss.    -   b) unsupported vinyl films as used in wrapping operations from        Alkor Draka of Munich, Germany.    -   c) flame resistant papers made by Pallas Inc. of Green Bay, Wis.    -   d) flame resistant papers made by Permalin Products Co. of New        York, N.Y.    -   e) woven fiberglass mat from Johns Manville of Waterville, Ohio.    -   f) a flame resistant non-woven #TR2315B-1 from H & V of Floyd,        Va. which has been quilted by Hunter Douglas Inc. of Broomfield,        Colo.    -   g) a flame resistant glass paint on a glass non-woven fabric        with the paint being manufactured by Keim of Holland. The glass        non-woven fabric would come from Alkstrom of Finland.

As an alternative to the diagonal support members shown in dashed linesin FIG. 5, elongated end caps 136 as shown in FIGS. 15–17 could beutilized. These end caps could simply be elongated U-shaped channelmembers of a rigid material which are adapted to fit snugly over the endof the aforedescribed panel 108 in perpendicular relationship to thelongitudinal direction of the reinforcement members 114. As will beappreciated, the end caps prevent the panel from collapsing, asillustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, and, of course, could be removed from thepanel for shipping purposes and installed on the panel once the panelswere ready for installation in a ceiling system. As an alternative theend caps could also be slit to fit within the open end of the panelinstead of around the end. By way of example, the end caps could be madeof a flame resistant polycarbonate or aluminum and adhesively secured tothe panels 108.

FIGS. 18–20 illustrate a second embodiment 138 of a panel in accordancewith the present invention wherein a lower sheet material 140 isreinforced principally in one direction by a furrowed reinforcing sheet142 that is folded as illustrated in FIG. 19 to define upwardly anddownwardly opening trapezoidal channels 144. The trapezoidal channelswould be bonded where the reinforcement member is in contiguous abuttingface-to-face relationship with the lower sheet material 140. Asmentioned previously, the bonding could be done in any variety of waysso long as a positive bond was provided between the reinforcing memberand the lower sheet material. As will be appreciated, with anarrangement of this type, the panel can be flexed upwardly in a smoothcurve, as illustrated in FIG. 18, and to a smaller degree downwardly butonly in one direction of the panel. The trapezoidal channels 144substantially prevent flexing in a transverse direction to thatillustrated. This ability to flex the panel, however, allows the panelto be easily inserted into the opening between the stringers 102 a andcross-members 102 b in the support structure for the ceiling system. Thestiffness of the panel can also be adjusted by the stiffness or rigidityof the lower sheet material 140.

In a third embodiment 146 of the present invention, seen in FIGS. 21–30,the ceiling panel 146 is formed similarly to the panel illustrated inFIGS. 18–20 but wherein an upper sheet material 148 is secured to thetrapezoidal reinforcement member 142 along the top surface of thetrapezoidal member. The upper sheet material can be adhesively bonded orotherwise secured to the reinforcement member in the same or similarmanner as the reinforcement member was secured to the lower sheetmaterial 140. As illustrated in FIG. 24, the bonding of thereinforcement member 142 to the sheet material can be with a full layerof adhesive 150 or, as illustrated in FIG. 25, with a single line ofadhesive 150 or, as illustrated in FIG. 26, with parallel lines ofadhesive 150 or, as mentioned previously, many other methods of applyingadhesive such as intermittently or in dots or the like could also beemployed. Again, heat welding or ultrasonic bonding may also beappropriate.

The completed panel 146 is probably best seen in FIG. 23 and, again,will bend or flex in one direction of the panel but is substantiallyprevented from flexing in a lateral or perpendicular direction due tothe trapezoidally shaped channels of the reinforcement member 142. Thereinforcement member can be formed from a sheet of material that hasbeen creased in opposite faces at spaced parallel locations andsubsequently folded.

The panel 146 can be compressed for shipping purposes, as illustrated inFIGS. 27–30, with a slight amount of compression probably notappreciably changing the configuration of the panel other than to makeit slightly thinner, but further compression causing the straight faces160 of the reinforcement member to buckle or fold into the contouredconfiguration shown in FIG. 29. Accordingly, the panels can be forciblycompressed for shipping purposes so as not to occupy as much spacewithin a shipping container and by utilizing an appropriate material forthe panels, such as a glass reinforced resin as described previously,the panels will reassume their normal configuration of FIGS. 21 and 22.

For purposes of the present disclosure, the term “compression” refers toreducing the thickness of a panel without allowing the upper and lowersheets to shift laterally relative to each other while the term“collapsing” refers to reducing the thickness of a panel whilepermitting lateral shifting of the upper and lower sheets relative toeach other. If there were no upper sheet, such as in the embodimentshown in FIGS. 18–20, “compression” would occur if the furrowedreinforcing sheet were not allowed to fold laterally as if it were“collapsing” but rather was buckled straight downwardly.

FIG. 31 illustrates a fourth embodiment 162 of the present inventionwhere, again, upper and lower planar sheets of material 164 and 166,respectively, are separated by a furrowed reinforcement member 168 thatdefines upwardly and downwardly opening channels 170 of trapezoidalcross-section but in this embodiment of the invention, the engagementarea of the reinforcement member 168 with each planar sheet member 164,166 is less than the corresponding engagement areas of the panel shownin FIGS. 21 and 22. This allows for a more compressible panel and aswill be appreciated, by varying the area of engagement between thereinforcement member and the planar sheet members, the compressibilityof the panel can be regulated. FIG. 33 shows the panel 162 in a somewhatcompressed configuration but when utilizing appropriate resilientmaterials, the panel will return to the normal configuration illustratedin FIG. 32 upon the release of pressure due to the resiliency of thematerial utilized.

FIGS. 35–38 illustrate a fifth embodiment 172 of the present inventionwhich is somewhat similar to those shown in FIGS. 21–22 and 31–32 so asto include upper and lower sheets of planar material 174 and 176,respectively, and a reinforcing member 178 therebetween but wherein thereinforcing member is defined by upwardly and downwardly openingchannels 180 that are of substantially triangular configuration. In thisarrangement, the engagement of the reinforcing member 178 with eachplanar sheet material 174, 176 is a relatively small area which allowseven more compressibility of the panel. FIG. 35A is an enlargement ofthe circled area in FIG. 36 and shows a line of adhesive 182 along asubstantially pointed line of engagement of the reinforcement member 178with the upper planar sheet member 174.

A sixth embodiment 184 of the panel of the present invention isillustrated in FIGS. 39–41 and can be seen to include a lower planarsheet material 186, a primary reinforcement member 188 substantially ofthe type shown in FIG. 18, and a secondary reinforcement member 190overlaid on the primary reinforcement member 188.

The primary reinforcement member 188 defines upwardly and downwardlyopening channels 192 of trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration and isbonded to the lower planar sheet material 186 along areas of engagement194. The secondary reinforcement member 190 is overlaid across the topof the primary reinforcement member and also defines upwardly anddownwardly opening channels 196 of trapezoidal configuration but whereinthe upwardly opening channels are wider than the downwardly openingchannels. The downwardly opening channels are sized to conform with andreceive the uppermost structure of a downwardly opening channel of theprimary reinforcement member 188. The upwardly opening channels of thesecondary reinforcement member 190 are adapted to be received in anupwardly opening channel of the primary reinforcement member. Thesecondary reinforcement member is secured to the primary reinforcementmember in any suitable manner such as with adhesive and eithercontinuously or at intermittent locations only along horizontal areas ofengagement 198. The panel so formed, again, will flex in one directionbut not as readily flex in the lateral transverse direction and FIG. 45illustrates the panel when so flexed, It will be appreciated that thesecondary reinforcement member flexes outwardly across the upwardlyopening channels 192 of the primary reinforcement member to allow forthe bend in the panel. This, of course, is permitted due to the factthat the secondary reinforcement member is not bonded to the primaryreinforcement member in the upwardly opening channels of the primaryreinforcement member but only along the top or horizontal areas ofengagement 198 with the primary reinforcement member.

FIGS. 42–44 illustrate an alterative arrangement 200 to the panelillustrated in FIGS. 39 and 40, with this alternative arrangement beingidentical to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 39 and 40 but wherein anupper planar sheet member 202 is bonded to the secondary reinforcementmember 190 in parallel relationship with the lower planar sheet member186. A panel so formed could also be bent as illustrated in FIG. 45Awhere the planar sheet members 186 and 202 are illustrated in dashedlines.

FIG. 46 illustrates a seventh embodiment 204 of a panel in accordancewith the present invention wherein the panel 204 includes upper andlower planar sheets of material 206 and 208, respectively, a primaryreinforcement member 210 and a pair of upper and lower secondaryreinforcement members 212 and 214, respectively. The primaryreinforcement member has upwardly and downwardly opening channels 216 oftrapezoidal configuration but the primary reinforcement member is notdirectly attached to the planar sheet materials. Rather, the secondaryreinforcement members 212 and 214, respectively, are secured to theprimary reinforcement member 210 along horizontal interfaces 218 betweenthe respective members and, in turn, the secondary reinforcement membersare secured to the planar sheet members along horizontal engagementareas 220. The secondary reinforcement members are identical to eachother but inverted relative to each other so as to be secured to theprimary reinforcement member across the top and bottom thereofsubstantially as described previously in connection with the embodimentof the invention shown in FIGS. 39 and 40.

FIGS. 47–56 illustrate an eighth embodiment 222 of the present inventionwherein a pair of parallel planar sheets 224 and 226 are interconnectedby a reinforcement member 228 that includes a primary reinforcementportion 230 and secondary reinforcement portions 232 which providerigidity in a transverse direction to the primary portion. As bestillustrated in FIGS. 49 and 50, the primary reinforcement portion 230 isa furrowed member substantially the same as the primary reinforcementmember of FIG. 39 thereby defining upwardly and downwardly openingchannels 234 of trapezoidal cross-section. The secondary reinforcementportions 232 are insert strips, as illustrated in FIG. 49, that areadapted to be received in the upwardly opening channels of the primaryreinforcement portion. Each secondary reinforcement strip has across-sectional configuration substantially identical to that of theprimary portion, but the planar side walls 236 of the strip, whichextend perpendicularly to the channels in the primary reinforcementportion, are tapered so as to converge downwardly thereby to conformwith the downwardly convergent walls 238 of the upwardly openingchannels of the primary portion of the reinforcement member.Accordingly, when the secondary reinforcement strips are positionedwithin the upwardly opening channels of the primary reinforcementportion, the reinforcement member is structured as illustrated in FIG.50, and it will be appreciated that the panel has substantial rigidityin both longitudinal and transverse directions even though a slightdegree of flexing is achievable due to the characteristics of thematerial from which the reinforcement member is made.

FIG. 51 illustrates a sheet of material 240 from which the secondaryreinforcement portions can be cut and folded and as will be appreciated,a number of such strips 232 can be cut in a complimentary manner fromthe same sheet of material.

FIGS. 55 and 56 illustrate the compressible nature of the panel 222which is permitted due to the flexible nature of the material from whichthe reinforcement member 228 is made and as will be appreciated,depending upon the amount of pressure applied to the planar sheetmembers 224 and 226, the reinforcement members will buckle into thecontoured configuration illustrated allowing the panel to assume athinner or shallower cross-section, again, for shipping purposes. Inother words, the panels can be forcibly compressed into containers forshipment so as to occupy a minimal amount of space compared to thatwhich would be occupied by the fully expanded panel.

FIGS. 57–59 illustrate a ninth embodiment 242 of the panel of thepresent invention which includes a lower planar sheet of material 244and a reinforcement member 246 bonded or otherwise secured to the uppersurface thereof to permit easy flexing of the panel in a downwarddirection but the reinforcement member resists flexing of the panel inan upwardly direction and transverse directions. The reinforcementmember has alternate upwardly and downwardly opening channels 248 oftrapezoidal cross-sectional configuration but the opening of eachchannel is significantly narrower than the opposed closed side of thesame channel. As will be appreciated, the panel would be allowed to flexreadily in a downward direction but not so readily in an upwarddirection and not so readily in a transverse direction. Thereinforcement member is secured to the planar sheet material along areasof engagement in any suitable manner which could include adhesiveapplied in lines, continuously across the areas of engagement, alongintermittent lines or dots or the like.

A tenth embodiment 250 of a panel formed in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 60–62. In this embodiment, a planarsheet of material 252 is bonded or otherwise secured in a suitablemanner to an overlying reinforcement member 254 that is similar to thereinforcement member shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 58 butwherein the upwardly opening trapezoidal channels 256 of thereinforcement member are significantly wider than the downwardly openingchannels 258. This arrangement would permit not only flexing in thedownward direction but also more flexing in the upward direction thanwould be permitted by the embodiment shown in FIGS. 57–59. The lowerexposed face of the sheet 252, which face is exposed to the interior ofthe room in which the ceiling system is mounted, can be modified byproviding it with a continuous elastomeric polymer (not shown).Preferably, the elastomeric polymer is a thermoplastic or thermosettingpolymeric film, such as a urethane or neoprene film, as describedpreviously with reference to FIG. 14, or a urethane or neoprene adhesivethat bonds a decorative film, as described above with reference to FIG.14, on the lower face of the sheet 252. The elastomeric polymer allowsthe panel 250 to be substantially flexed or bent without visiblecreasing of the sheet 252. As a result, the panel 250 can bemanufactured in long lengths which can be stored and shipped inrolled-up form and then unrolled and cut to length for installation.

An eleventh embodiment 260 of a panel in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 63–65. This embodiment is identical tothat illustrated in FIGS. 57–59 except that an upper planar sheet ofmaterial 262 is secured to a reinforcement member 264 across the top ofthe reinforcement member in the same or similar manner to which a bottomsheet material 266 is secured to the lower surface of the reinforcementmember. This panel would have similar behavioral characteristics to thatof the panel illustrated in FIG. 58 but would have slightly morerigidity and better insulating qualities.

FIGS. 66–68 illustrate a twelfth embodiment 268 of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention, with this embodiment includingupper and lower planar sheets of material 270 and 272, respectively,that are secured to and separated by a reinforcement member 274 havingupwardly and downwardly opening channels 276 of transverse trapezoidalconfiguration. The reinforcement member is similar to that of FIG. 58except that the trapezoidal cross-section is slightly enlarged so thatthe opening of the trapezoidal channels in both the upward and downwarddirections is slightly greater than that of the reinforcement member ofFIG. 58.

A thirteenth embodiment 278 of a panel formed in accordance with thepresent invention is illustrated in FIGS. 69–71, with this panel,including upper and lower planar sheet materials 280 and 282,respectively, that are interconnected by and spaced by a reinforcementmember 284. The reinforcement member is substantially identical to thatillustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 60 and 61.

FIGS. 72–75 illustrate the compressibility of the panel 268 describedpreviously in connection with FIGS. 66–68 and wherein it will beappreciated in FIG. 73 that the panel can be compressed a slight amountwithout buckling the resilient walls of the reinforcement member 274,but additional compression allows the walls of the reinforcement memberto further fold relative to each other into the configurationillustrated in FIG. 74. The walls will actually buckle so that the panelcan be substantially compressed for cost savings during shipment.

FIGS. 76–79 illustrate the compressibility of the panel 260 describedpreviously in connection with FIGS. 63–65 wherein it will again beappreciated that a slight amount of compression, as seen in FIG. 77, ispossible without buckling the resilient walls of the reinforcementmember 264 but additional compression of the panel causes the walls tobuckle and fold, as illustrated in FIG. 78, so that the panel issubstantially thinner thereby occupying less space within a shippingcontainer.

FIGS. 80–83 illustrate a sixteenth embodiment 286 of a panel formed inaccordance with the present invention. This panel is very similar to thepanel described previously in FIGS. 60–62 in that it includes a lowerplanar sheet of material 288 and a reinforcing member 290 with upwardlyopening trapezoidal channels 292 spaced by closed triangular shapedchannels 294. As will be appreciated, the upwardly opening channels thatare of trapezoidal cross-sectional configuration define a space 296along the upper surface of the reinforcement member between thetriangular channels 294. A support member 298, which is best seen inFIG. 80, is positioned across the top of the reinforcement member andextends perpendicularly to the channels in the reinforcement member soas to provide rigidity to the panel in a direction transverse to thatprovided by the reinforcement member so that the panel is rigidified inperpendicular directions.

The support member 298, which can be made of the same material as theplanar sheet 288 and the reinforcement member 284 and as seen in FIG.80, includes a downwardly opening channel-shaped body of invertedU-shaped cross-section projecting away from the reinforcement member andhaving outwardly directed flanges 300 from which a plurality of tabs 302are cut and bent to extend downwardly. The cross-section of the tabs 302is best seen in FIG. 82 to conform generally to the walls and space 296of the trapezoidal channels in the reinforcement member so as tomechanically connect the support member to the reinforcement member. Thesupport member can, therefore, be mounted on the reinforcement member bypositioning the support member perpendicular to the trapezoidal channelsand sliding the support member along the length of the channels until itis desirably positioned. A plurality of the downwardly opening supportmembers can be positioned at any desired spacing, as illustrated in FIG.83. The support members, accordingly, substantially rigidify the panelso that it has very little flexibility in any perpendicular direction.

To the extent it is not clear from the above, the connection between thevarious components of the panels described can be achieved adhesively,ultrasonically, through heat fusion or any other acceptable bondingsystem. The connections are made where a component engages an upper orlower sheet of the panel or along peaks defined by a component of thepanel.

It will be appreciated from the above that an improved panel for use ina drop ceiling system or in other similar uses has been provided thathas variable features for adjusting the flexibility of the panel inlongitudinal or transverse directions and also for varying thecompressibility of the panel for shipping purposes. The exposed faces ofthe panels of this invention can also be modified by adding a continuouselastomeric polymer, such as a urethane or neoprene film or adhesive, asdescribed, by way of example, with regard to the panels of FIGS. 13 and60–62 and/or a decorative film as described, by way of example, withregard to the panel of FIG. 13. Due to the flexible nature of thepanels, they can also be easily inserted into the openings defined bythe stringers and cross-members of a suspended support system and thepanels will not break, as they are not brittle even when being flexedfor insertion into the support system. With modifications to thesuspension system, it will also be appreciated that the panels could beused in a wall of a building structure.

It will further be appreciated from the above that a panel for use in adrop ceiling system or in other similar uses and as described wouldprovide ideal and variable acoustical properties and insulation. Thevariance in the number of layers provided in the panel in the form ofupper and lower sheets, dividers, reenforced members and the like,define a plurality of air pockets with the number of layers and pocketsvarying depending upon the embodiment of the panel employed. Further,the lower panel or a decorative sheet applied thereto can be made ofsound reflective material or sound absorbing material to further providevariability to the acoustics of the panel.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade by way of example, and changes in detail or structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

1. A flexible and resilient ceiling panel that can be folded and flexedas an entire panel and return to its original configuration while beinginserted into an opening in a supporting grid work of a ceiling of abuilding structure, comprising: at least one first sheet; and at leastone second sheet formed into a first reinforcement layer that is athree-dimensional body, said at least one second sheet having aplurality of elongated channels; and wherein said elongated channels arepositioned to confront said first sheet; and wherein said first sheetand said first reinforcement layer are each of a somewhat rigid materialthat can be flexed and that comprises heat-resistant fibers boundtogether by a resin.
 2. The panel of claim 1 wherein said reinforcementlayer is a furrowed sheet defining oppositely directed elongatedchannels at least some of which are confronting with said first sheet soas to define elongated cells between said reinforcement layer and saidfirst sheet.
 3. The panel of claim 2 wherein at least some of saidchannels are of trapezoidal transverse cross-section.
 4. The panel ofclaim 2 wherein at least some of said channels are of triangulartransverse cross-section.
 5. The panel of claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein saidreinforcement layer is secured to said first sheet.
 6. The panel ofclaim 2, 3 or 4 wherein said reinforcement layer is adhesively bonded tosaid first sheet.
 7. The panel of claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein saidreinforcement layer is heat welded to said first sheet.
 8. The panel ofclaim 2, 3 or 4 wherein said reinforcement layer is ultrasonicallybonded to said first sheet.
 9. The panel of claim 2 further including asecondary reinforcement layer that is a furrowed sheet definingoppositely directed elongated channels, the channels of said secondaryreinforcement layer being less deep than the channels in the firstmentioned reinforcement layer and wherein said secondary reinforcementlayer is overlaid across said first mentioned reinforcement layer suchthat at least some of said channels in said secondary reinforcementlayer are positioned within channels of said first mentionedreinforcement layer.
 10. The panel of claim 9 wherein said secondaryreinforcement layer is secured to said first mentioned reinforcementlayer.
 11. The panel of claim 9 wherein there are a pair of furrowedsecondary reinforcement layers with one overlaid and one underlaidacross said first mentioned reinforcement layer.
 12. The panel of claim11 wherein each of said secondary reinforcement layers is secured tosaid first mentioned reinforcement layer.
 13. The panel of claim 2further including a secondary reinforcement portion having planarsurfaces extending perpendicularly to said channels in saidreinforcement layer.
 14. The panel of claim 13 wherein said secondaryreinforcement portion is of elongated furrowed construction and adaptedto be received in one of said channels in said first mentionedreinforcement layer.
 15. The panel of claim 14 wherein there are aplurality of said secondary reinforcement portions with each secondaryreinforcement portion received in a separate channel of said firstmentioned reinforcement layer.
 16. The panel of claim 2, 9, 11, 13 or 15further including a decorative layer of material secured to said firstsheet of material with said reinforcement layer secured to one face ofsaid first sheet of material and said decorative layer secured to anopposite face of said first sheet of material.
 17. The panel of claim 16wherein said decorative layer is an elastomeric polymer.
 18. The panelof claim 17 wherein said elastomeric polymer is a thermoplastic orthermosetting polymeric film.
 19. The panel of claim 2 wherein thematerial from which said reinforcement layer is made is creasable andthe material from which said first sheet is made is creasable.
 20. Thepanel of claim 2, 9, 11, 13 or 14 wherein there are two of said firstsheets defining substantially flat substrate materials and saidreinforcement layer is positioned therebetween.
 21. The panel of claim20 wherein said two of said first sheets are secured to saidreinforcement layer.
 22. The panel of claim 21 wherein saidreinforcement layer is compressible allowing the panel to be compressedby moving one of said first sheets perpendicularly toward the other ofsaid first sheets.
 23. The panel of claim 20 wherein said reinforcementlayer is compressible allowing the panel to be compressed by moving oneof said first sheets perpendicularly toward the other of said firstsheets.
 24. The panel of claim 20 wherein said reinforcement layer iscollapsible allowing the panel to be compressed by moving said firstsheets toward each other while shifting one of said first sheetsrelative to the other of said first sheets in a lateral direction. 25.The panel of claim 2 or 4 further including at least one support memberoperatively connected to said reinforcement layer on an opposite sidethereof from said first sheet of material, said support member beingelongated and extending perpendicularly to said elongated channels. 26.The panel of claim 25 wherein said at least one support member ismechanically connected to said reinforcement layer.
 27. The panel ofclaim 26 wherein said at least one support member includes tabs adaptedto be received in channels of said reinforcement layer to mechanicallyconnect said at least one support member to said reinforcement layer.28. The panel of claim 27 wherein said support member further includesan inverted U-shaped body projecting away from said reinforcement layer.29. The panel of claim 28 wherein said at least one support memberfurther includes flanges adapted to abut said reinforcement layer. 30.The panel of claim 26 wherein said at least one support member and saidreinforcement layer are made of the same material.
 31. The panel ofclaim 25 wherein said at least one support member and said reinforcementlayer are made of the same material.
 32. The panel of claim 25 whereinthere are a plurality of said support members.
 33. A flexible ceilingpanel for incorporation into a building structure comprising at leastone sheet of a substantially flat substrate material and a reinforcementlayer secured to said substrate material, said reinforcement layerincluding at least one sheet of material having a plurality of channelsformed therein, said panel being formed into a three-dimensional,self-supporting, resilient body having a plurality of elongated cells,said body being flexible and foldable as an entire body while retainingits resiliency to return to a substantially flat state after having beenflexed as an entire body and wherein at least one sheet of substratematerial is made of a fibrous material.
 34. The panel of claim 33wherein said elongated cells are formed between said at least one sheetof substrate material and said reinforcement layer being made from atleast one separate piece of material than said at least one sheet ofsubstrate material.
 35. The panel of claim 34 wherein said reinforcementlayer is a furrowed sheet defining oppositely directed elongatedchannels at least some of which are confronting with said at least onesheet of substrate material so as to define said elongated cells betweensaid reinforcement member and said at least one sheet of substratematerial.
 36. The panel of claim 35 wherein at least some of saidchannels are of trapezoidal transverse cross-section.
 37. The panel ofclaim 35 wherein at least some of said channels are of triangulartransverse cross-section.
 38. The panel of claim 35 further including asecondary reinforcement layer that is a furrowed sheet definingoppositely directed elongated channels, the channels of said secondaryreinforcement layer being less deep than the channels in the firstmentioned reinforcement layer and wherein said secondary reinforcementlayer is overlaid across said first mentioned reinforcement layer suchthat at least some of said channels in said secondary reinforcementlayer are positioned within channels of said first mentionedreinforcement layer.
 39. The panel of claim 38 wherein said secondaryreinforcement layer is secured to said first mentioned reinforcementlayer.
 40. The panel of claim 38 wherein there are a pair of corrugatedsecondary reinforcement layers with one overlaid and one underlaidacross said first mentioned reinforcement layer.
 41. The panel of claim40 wherein each of said secondary reinforcement layers is secured tosaid first mentioned reinforcement layer.
 42. The panel of claim 35further including a secondary reinforcement portion having planarsurfaces extending perpendicularly to said channels in saidreinforcement layer.
 43. The panel of claim 42 wherein said secondaryreinforcement portion is of elongated furrowed construction and adaptedto be received in one of said channels in said first mentionedreinforcement layer.
 44. The panel of claim 43 wherein there are aplurality of said secondary reinforcement portions with each secondaryreinforcement portion received in a separate channel of said firstmentioned reinforcement layer.
 45. The panel of claim 35 or 37 furtherincluding at least one support member operatively connected to saidreinforcement layer on an opposite side thereof from said at least onesheet of substrate material, said support member being elongated andextending perpendicularly to said elongated channels.
 46. The panel ofclaim 45 wherein said at least one support member is mechanicallyconnected to said reinforcement layer.
 47. The panel of claim 46 whereinsaid at least one support member includes tabs adapted to be received inchannels of said reinforcement layer to mechanically connect said atleast one support member to said reinforcement layer.
 48. The panel ofclaim 47 wherein said support member further includes an invertedU-shaped body projecting away from said reinforcement layer.
 49. Thepanel of claim 48 wherein said at least one support member furtherincludes flanges adapted to abut said reinforcement layer.
 50. The panelof claim 46 wherein said at least one support member and saidreinforcement layer are made of the same material.
 51. The panel ofclaim 45 wherein said at least one support member and said reinforcementlayer are made of the same material.
 52. The panel of claim 45 whereinthere are a plurality of said support members.
 53. The panel of claim34, 35, 36 or 37 wherein said reinforcement layer is secured to said atleast one sheet of substrate material.
 54. The panel of claim 34, 35, 36or 37 wherein said reinforcement layer is adhesively bonded to said atleast one sheet of substrate material.
 55. The panel of claim 34, 35, 36or 37 wherein said reinforcement layer is heat welded to said at leastone sheet of substrate material.
 56. The panel of claim 34, 35, 36 or 37wherein said reinforcement layer is ultrasonically bonded to said atleast one sheet of substrate material.
 57. The panel of claims 34, 35,39, 40, 42 or 43 wherein there are two sheets of a substantially flatsubstrate material and said reinforcement layer is positionedtherebetween.
 58. The panel of claim 57 wherein said two sheets ofsubstrate material are secured to said reinforcement layer.
 59. Thepanel of claim 58 wherein said reinforcement layer is compressibleallowing the panel to be compressed by moving one of said sheetsperpendicularly toward the other of said sheets.
 60. The panel of claim57 wherein said reinforcement layer is compressible allowing the panelto be compressed by moving one of said first sheets perpendicularlytoward the other of said first sheets.
 61. The panel of claim 57 whereinsaid reinforcement layer is collapsible allowing the panel to becompressed by moving said first sheets toward each other while shiftingone of said first sheets relative to the other of said first sheets in alateral direction.
 62. The panel of claim 33 wherein said fibrousmaterial includes fibers of glass embedded in a resin.
 63. The panel ofclaim 33, 34, 35, 38, 40, 42 or 44 further including a decorative layerof material secured to said at least one sheet of substrate materialwith said reinforcement layer secured to one face of said at least onesheet of substrate material and said decorative layer secured to anopposite face of said at least one sheet of substrate material.
 64. Thepanel of claim 63 wherein said decorative layer is an elastomericpolymer.
 65. The panel of claim 64 wherein said elastomeric polymer is athermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric film.
 66. The panel of claim33, 34 or 35 wherein the material from which said reinforcement layer ismade is creasable and the material from which said at least one sheet ofsubstrate material is made is creasable.
 67. The panel of claim 33wherein there are two sheets of a substantially flat substrate materialand said elongated reinforcement layer is secured to each of said sheetsof substrate material so as to define a plurality of elongated cellsbetween said sheets of substrate material and said reinforcement layer.68. A flexible and resilient ceiling panel that can be folded and flexedas an entire panel and return to its original configuration while beinginserted into an opening in a supporting grid work for a ceiling or abuilding structure, comprising: at least one first sheet; and at leastone second sheet formed into a first reinforcement layer that is athree-dimensional body, said at least one second sheet having anelongated channel; and wherein said elongated channel is positioned toconfront said first sheet; and wherein said first sheet and said secondsheet are each of a somewhat rigid material that can be flexed and thatcomprises heat-resistant fibers bound together by a resin, said secondsheet having been creased and folded without damaging the fiberstherein.
 69. A resilient ceiling panel for incorporation into a buildingstructure comprising at least one sheet of a substantially flatsubstrate material and a reinforcement layer made from at least onesheet of material having a plurality of channels formed thereon, saidpanel being formed into a three-dimensional, self-supporting,fully-compressible body having a plurality of elongated cells when in anormal at-rest position, said cells being fully compressed when thepanel is fully compressed, said elongated cells being formed betweensaid at least one sheet of substrate material and said reinforcementlayer, said reinforcement layer being made from at least one separatepiece of material than said at least one sheet of substrate material andwherein said at least one sheet of substrate material is made from afibrous material.
 70. The panel of claim 69 wherein said fibrousmaterial includes fibers of glass embedded in a resin.
 71. The panel ofclaim 70 wherein said reinforcement layer includes fibers of glassembedded in a resin.
 72. A resilient ceiling panel for incorporationinto a building structure comprising at least one sheet of asubstantially flat substrate material and a reinforcement layer madefrom at least one sheet of material having a plurality of channelsformed thereon, said panel being formed into a three-dimensional,self-supporting, fully-compressible body having a plurality of elongatedcells when in a normal at-rest position, said cells being fullycompressed when the panel is fully compressed, said elongated cellsbeing formed between said at least one sheet of substrate material andsaid reinforcement layer, said reinforcement layer being made from atleast one separate piece of material than said at least one sheet ofsubstrate material, said reinforcement layer being a furrowed sheetdefining oppositely directed elongated channels at least some of whichare confronting with said at least one sheet of substrate material so asto define said elongated cells between said reinforcement layer and saidat least one sheet of substrate material, said furrowed sheet beingfolded into a substantially flat configuration when said panel is fullycompressed.
 73. The panel of claim 72 wherein at least some of saidchannels are of trapezoidal transverse cross-section.
 74. The panel ofclaim 69, 72, or 73 wherein said reinforcement layer is secured to saidat least one sheet of substrate material.
 75. The panel of claim 69, 72,or 73 wherein said reinforcement layer is adhesively bonded to said atleast one sheet of substrate material.
 76. The panel of claim 69, 72, or73 wherein said reinforcement layer is heat welded to said at least onesheet of substrate material.
 77. The panel of claim 69, 72, or 73wherein said reinforcement layer is ultrasonically bonded to said atleast one sheet of substrate material.
 78. The panel of claim 72 furtherincluding at least one support member operatively connected to saidreinforcement layer on an opposite side thereof from said at least onesheet of substrate material, said support member being elongated andextending perpendicularly to said elongated channels.
 79. The panel ofclaim 78 wherein at least one support member is mechanically connectedto said reinforcement layer.
 80. The panel of claim 79 wherein said atleast one support member and said reinforcement layer are made of thesame material.
 81. The panel of claim 78 wherein said at least onesupport member and said reinforcement layer are made of the samematerial.
 82. The panel of claim 78 wherein there are a plurality ofsaid support members.
 83. The panel of claim 69 or 72 further includinga decorative layer of material secured to said at least one sheet ofsubstrate material with said reinforcement layer secured to one face ofsaid at least one sheet of substrate material and said decorative layersecured to an opposite face of said at least one sheet of substratematerial.
 84. The panel of claim 83 wherein said decorative layer is anelastomeric polymer.
 85. The panel of claim 84 wherein said elastomericpolymer is a thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric film.
 86. Thepanel of claim 69 or 72 wherein the material from which saidreinforcement layer is made is creasable and the material from whichsaid at least one sheet of substrate material is made is creasable. 87.The panel of claim 69 or 72 wherein there are two sheets of asubstantially flat substrate material and said reinforcement layer ispositioned therebetween.
 88. The panel of claim 87 wherein said twosheets of substrate material are secured to said reinforcement layer.89. A resilient ceiling panel for incorporation into a buildingstructure comprising at least one sheet of a substantially flatsubstrate material and a reinforcement layer made from at least onesheet of material having a plurality of channels formed therein, saidpanel being formed into a three-dimensional, self-supporting,fully-collapsible body having a plurality of elongated cells when in anormal at-rest position, said cells being fully collapsed when the panelis fully collapsed, said elongated cells being formed between said atleast one sheet of substrate material and said reinforcement layer, saidreinforcement layer being made from at least one separate piece ofmaterial and said at least one sheet of substrate material, and whereinsaid at least one sheet of substrate material is made of a fibrousmaterial.
 90. The panel of claim 89 wherein said fibrous materialincludes fibers of glass embedded in a resin.
 91. The panel of claim 90wherein said reinforcement layer includes fibers of glass embedded in aresin.